The publisher of Harry Potter has rejected new plagiarism claims against JK Rowling by the family of an unknown dead writer.

The estate of Adrian Jacobs, a UK fantasy writer, claimed in a 2004 lawsuit that Rowling stole the plot from his 1997 book title Willy the Wizard No 1 Livid Land for her book Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.

It also claimed that Rowling used the services of a literary agent – Christopher Little – who was also employed by Jacobs. Jacobs reportedly died penniless in a London hospice, seven years before the suit was filed.

Bloomsbury Publishing said in a statement: “Bloomsbury would like to state that this claim is without merit and will be defended vigorously. The allegations of plagiarism made by the estate of Adrian Jacobs are unfounded, unsubstantiated and untrue. Willy the Wizard is a very insubstantial booklet running to 36 pages which had very limited distribution. The central character of Willy the Wizard is not a young wizard, and the book does not revolve around a wizard school …. The claim was unable to identify any text in the Harry Potter books which was said to copy Willy the Wizard.”

Source: Splash News